NEW YORK (1010 WINS/WCBS 880) – Five individuals were indicted on Thursday for attempting to smuggle fentanyl into the Suffolk County Jail in Riverhead, prosecutors said.
Jyzir Hamilton, a 35-year-old inmate, was allegedly the one who initiated the smuggling plan.
The deputy sheriff received some information about Hamilton’s plan in August when he was allegedly planning for his girlfriend, 24-year-old Janiah Williams, to bring in fentanyl-laced paper to him through his defense attorney who allegedly did not know of the plan, prosecutors said.
"This group not only allegedly attempted to smuggle deadly fentanyl into the Suffolk County Correctional Facility, but they also attempted to use an unsuspecting defense attorney to deliver it," Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney said.
Hamilton allegedly called Alyssa Brienza, 30, and asked about how he can get fentanyl. Following this conversation, Brienza then allegedly spoke to Arnold Foster, 33, who at the time was also serving a prison sentence at the Green Haven Correctional Facility, about how to set the price for the fentanyl that was to be sold to Hamilton, according to court documents.
Once a price was given to Hamilton, he allegedly spoke with WIlliams on how to arrange the delivery to jail.
On August 19, Brienza allegedly delivered four blank pages of paper to Williams.
Hamilton then allegedly told Williams to contact an attorney who represented Eric Freeman, 48. Freeman had told his attorney that someone would be sending over legal documents to him and asked his attorney to bring them in.
On August 23, after contacting the attorney, Williams was arrested by sheriffs as she entered the Arthur M. Cromarty Court Complex building in Riverhead where she allegedly intended to deliver the fentanyl-laced documents.
Deputy sheriffs allegedly found a manilla envelope in Williams' possession containing four pages with legal terms printed on them.
Hamilton now faces charges including conspiracy, attempted criminal possession of a controlled substance, and promoting prison contraband.
Brienza faces criminal sale of a controlled substance, multiple counts of criminal possession of a controlled substance, and endangering the welfare of a child.
When arrested on Oct. 2, Brienza had possession of cocaine and cash with her four-year-old child present in the car.
Williams was indicted for carrying out the delivery of the fentanyl-laced documents. She faces charges including attempted criminal sale of a controlled substance and conspiracy.
Freeman and Foster, 33 are each charged with conspiracy.